Automatic rail-frog and switch



2 Sheet-Shet 1- (No Model.)

0. BUHRER AUTOMATIC RAIL FROG AND swucn.

Patented Nov. 2 1886.

u PETERS. PhuloLiI-hompher. wam m n c (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. BUHRER.

AIiTOMATIG RAI FROG AND SWITCH. No. 352,078. Patented Nov. 2 1886.

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vmv mszsz' Q IKE/V702, I MQQ a $2M where it joins the frog f, and at the point where there beinga groove, gr, between the tongue UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GASPERJBUHRER, OF CAMBRIDGE OI'IY, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC RAlL-F ROG AND SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,078, dated November 2. 188d.

Application filed March 26, 1866.

To aZZ whom it may concern: a I

Be it known that LOAsPER BUHRER, a resident of Cambridge City, Indiana, havemade certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Rail-Frogs, a description of which is set forth in the following specification, reference being made to the-accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like letters represent like parts.

My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the frog and pivoted wing-rail at thejunction of the main and side tracks of a railway, and will-be'understood from the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a top view of my device whenthe frog is set for the siding, the spring sp being in this case compressed. Fig. 2 is a similar view, in which. the spring resumes its normal position, leaving the main-track rail open and clear for the passing trains. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 00 m, Fig. '1. Fig. 4. is a cross-section on the line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 illustrates the application of my pivoted wing-rails to a switch, in which the switch is shown closed or set for the siding. Fig. 6 is a similar view, showing the switch set for the main track.

In detail,m represents the main-track rails; s, the siding-rails. The inner one of these siding-rails rises from a short distance below its end abuts against the central tongue piece, t, of the frog it is about an inch and a half above the level of the main track, and on a level with the tongue-piece t and the portion of the frog opposite this tonguepiece, and on the outside thereof farthest from the main rail t and the outside rail of the frog. A groove or offset is also formed between the tongue t and the main rail m, the bottom of this offset being on a level with the main-track rail m. The offset on the inside of the tongue t is to allow clearance for the tread of the wheel coming along the main track, while the groove between the tongue t and theoutside rail of the frog f is just as deep as the flange of the car-wheel, so that in case the wing-railwwere not thrown over in passing of the train along the siding over the main track the flange of the wheel would run along this groove and have a bearing upon the frog itself until the Serial No, 196,712. (No model.)

tread of the wheel could catch over upon the wing-rail w and pass to the siding beyond. The frog f is securely bolted to the main-track rails m.

The wing-rail which is pivoted at 3 is ele-' vated above the level of the maintrack rail,

and servesas a lifting-rail to carry the wheel of the car coming over the main-track rail. Near the outer and curved end of this wingrail to is a bolt passing through it and into a suitable bearing beyond. A lug, Z, which is spiked to the tie,is mounted on this bolt, serving as a stop or bearing for the inner end of the spring sp, coiled around the bolt and arranged'to be compressed between a washer and a nut working on the outer end of the bolt b and this lug Z, and the wing-rail w is connected by suitable bars or rods,c and c ,with acrank-rod, or, at the points j and jfithese connecting-rods being journaled at these points on the bends of the crank-rod. The crank-rod is connected at each end to shorter wing-rails w and wflwhich are pivoted end to end at the points 1 and 2,so as to permit the opposite and outer end of these wing-rails to be thrown out or may be desired.

g are guide-rails fastened inside the rails s,to assist in keeping the trains upon the track when passing over the frog. The wing-rails w and w are'also. elevated about two and a half inches above the level of the siding-rails, to receive the side-thrust of the car-wheel. The outer ends of these wing-rails are curved to facilitate the entrance of the wheel.

My device operates as follows: Suppose a train to be approaching the main track from the siding s, moving in the directionindicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. All the rails are then in their normal position, and as the outside of the wheel enters between the wing-rail w and drawn up, as

the siding-rail it will force the wing-rail w ICO ' tinuous and clear.

at once the elevated top of the wing-rail w, the flange of the car-wheel running along in the groove {/r, and so on safely across the main track. \Vhen the train has passed over, the force of the spring will exert itself, drawing the wing-rail w overin the position shown in Fig. 2 and the rail to up again to the siding-rail, as before, leaving the main track eon- The wing-rail 10, being also connected to the crank-rod c) at the point j, has precisely the same movement as the wingrail w and it is not necessary to use other connecting-rods from these win g-rails across to the wing-rail w than those shown, as they are snflicient, both being connected by the crankrod or, as indicated.

It will be seen that by this arrangement the operation of the wing-rails is automatic, and the siding-connection is opened or closed by the lateral pressure of the side of the ear-wheel against the wing-rails and the retractive force of the spring 8 The main track is always left open for the passage of trains, and this practically makes the siding continuous, as well; and, as has been indicated, if from any eause-sueh as the breaking of the connecting rods 0' and c"the wingrail w should not be drawn over against the side of the main-track rail, the flange of the ear-wheel will run along the groove gr, lifting it above the main-track rail, and the tread of the wheel will catch the wing-rail w, as shown in Fig. 2, and the car will not be thrown off, but will pass along over the frog to the siding-rails beyond.

Another valuable feature of my device is thus illustrated: Suppose the spring should fail to act, from breakage or some other cause, and the wing-rail 10 should be leftin the position shown in Fig. 1. In such a case a train coming in either direction along the main track would throw this rail over as soon as the side or the flange of the ear-wheel entered between it and the main-track rail, and the main track would thus be left clear and entirely safe for the passage of trains in either direction. It is obvious, also, that the wingrails w and 10* might be so pivoted at the outer ends that the thrust of the wheel would throw them out at or near the point of their junction in the center. This, however, would be a mere reversal of the arrangement shown in the drawings, and would not depart from the principle of my invention; and I do not intend to limit myself to the pivoting of these movable wing-rails at any particular point, so that their essential function and capability of being thrown out by the thrust of the wheel in passing over them is preserved. It is further obvious that any person skilled in the art could arrange the wing-rails between the trackrails, so that instead of being thrown by the outside or tread portion of the car-wheel they could be thrown equally as well by means of the flange on the inside of the car-wheel; but this would be a mere mechanical change and would not involve any different principle than the one herein shown, and I do not intend to confine myself to locating the wing-rails out side the frog and siding-rails herein specifically described.

This automatic continuous rail is as applicable to a switch as to a frog connection,heretofore described, and the method of applying it to a switch is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Thus in Fig. 5 the switch is set for the siding and the wing-rail w is pivoted at outside the maintrack rail, and is connected by a coupling, 0, to a crankrod, or, which is connected to the switch-rod. The longer connecting-rod 0 extends under the wing and main rail, and is fastened to the switch-rails and the opposite split main rail, and 011 the other end of this connecting rod the spring .522 is coiled, and is intended to be compressed in the bearings hereinbel'ore described. A train, therefore, coming'along the main track in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5 would act as follows: The

outside of the wheel would force the wing-rail 10 over toward the crank-rod, and this, by means of the reverse action of the eranlgwould throw the inside split main rail over against the siding, thus making the main track continuous, and this operation would be assisted by the flange of the wheel coming between the main rail and the switch-rail. This operation would compress the spring, and as soon as the train had passed the switch the force of the spring would exert itself and throw the rails back into the position shown in Fig. 5, leaving the switch set for the siding or for thejunction of the double main track. In Fig. 6 is shown the position of the rails when the main track is made continuous by the pressure of the wheel, as indicated.

This device can be connected to any switch mechanism as an additional sal'ety'guard for a misplaced switch.

My invention therefore consists in the frog herein described, and the arrangement, pivoting, and operation of the movable wing-rails, either between the track-rails or upon the outside of them, as maybe found most convenient, so that the movement of the train itself coming either from the siding or the main track will operate the device and allow the train to pass over the main track when it is set for the siding,or to open the switch, so that trains eomin g in either direction from the main track will pass onward without being thrown off.

.Vhat I elain1,therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. The frog-piece f, provided with the central tongue, if, one side of the frog, parallel with the main track, the other side being at an acute angle thereto, the portion of the frog next the main rail cut away between the tongue and main rail, so that the offset will be level with the top of the main rail, the tongue and rail portion of the frog being elevated above the main rail, and the groove 91" between the tongue and rail portion, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The frog-piecef, provided with the tongue t, and the outside rail portion elevated above the main track, the groove gr, to receive the flange of the car-wheel, and the siding-rails s, the inside one of which is elevated so that its end is on a level with the frog and above the main rails, all combined substantially as described.

3. The frog-piecef, its tongue and rail portion elevated above the main-track rail, provided with an ofl'set next the main-track rail, and the groove gr between the tongue and rail portion of the frog, siding-rails 8, main rails m, the wing-rail w, pivoted at 3, the wing-rails w and w, pivoted at l and 2, and the crankrod or, with rods connecting the same to the several wing-rails, all combined substantially as described.

4. The continuous main rails m, the sidingrails s, the outside one of which is continuous, the inside one elevated from a short distance below its junction with the main rail and connecting with an elevated frog, so as to lift the wheel of the approaching car entirely over the main rail, a series, of elevated wing-rails pivoted at oneend and connected by suitable rods with a crank-rod these wing-rails being so arranged with reference to the main and siding rails as to be thrown by either side of a carwheel moving over the tracks, so as to leave the main track continuous at all times, and to form a practically continuous sidingo rail, in combination with a spring mechanism connected with one or more sides of these wing-rails for throwing the wing-rails back into their normal position after the train has passed over the track, all combined substantially as described. Y

5. lhe continuous main-track rails m, the siding-rails 8, one or both sides of the latter elevated near the junction with the main track, the frog f,whose tongue and rail portions are 0 also elevated above the main track and adapted to connect with the elevated siding-rails, the pivoted wing-rails w and r0 connected to each other and to the reversible crank-rod or, the spring mechanism 8 connected to the wing-rail w, for throwing the wingzrails back in the position they had before the train has passed over, and the guide-rail 9, all combined substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of March 1886.

CASPER BUHRER.

Witnesses: V

O. P. JACOBS, HATTIE MUnRY. 

